The first post-occupation election in Iraq started with explosions

Nadezhda Kevorkova has worked at RT since 2010, before which she was a special correspondent for ‘Novaya gazeta,’ ‘Nezavisimaya gazeta,’ and ‘Gazeta.’ Kevorkova has also worked extensively in Russian mass-media. As a war correspondent, she covered the Arab Spring, military and religious conflicts, and the anti-globalization movement. She has worked as a reporter in Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Hungary, Greece, Turkey, Cuba, and in the republics of the North Caucasus, Tatarstan, and in the Far East. In 2001, after an invitation from US State Department, Kevorkova visited a number of states, including Alaska. As a correspondent of 'Gazeta' she reported from Indian settlements in the US. She covered the ‘Gaza Freedom Flotilla’ in 2008, 2010 and 2011; she also visited Gaza several times during the blockade. In 2010, Kevorkova was nominated for the ‘International Women of Courage’ award.

Sheik Qais Khazaali, leader of the militant group Asaib Ahl Haq, shows his ink-stained finger as he votes during a parliamentary election in Baghdad April 30, 2014. (Reuters) / Reuters

Monday was the most difficult day in the Iraqi elections, say police, military and security officers who voted that day. The people who are supposed to be guarding the polling stations lined up in front of the ballot boxes and became targets.

Five polling stations in Baghdad, Sadr City and Mosul came under
attack with varying consequences. The Iraqi Ministry of Interior
reported six people killed and 24 injured, but the figures
quickly changed to two dozen dead.

In the morning, the main polling station where security forces
vote was crowded. No terrorist can make his way in here. It is in
the government quarter close to the Green Zone, separated by
concrete walls from the rest of the world. Since 2003, when the
Baghdad municipality was destroyed by heavy bombardment, there
have been only two ways to get around here: you either walk or
you drive a tank.

For some reason, you are not allowed to take pictures of the
graphic scars left by the US bombardment. In fact, the entire
system of bans in Iraq is highly contradictory. The current
authorities seem to have inherited the disposition for
paradoxical prohibitions from the Saddam era. For example, many
people would tell you that it was perfectly fine to go for a walk
in this area and take any pictures you like.

Military officers did not look particularly alert or shocked by
the deaths of their colleagues. Possibly, it is just not that
easy to shock people in Iraq after all they have been through.
Under US occupation, 180,000 Iraqis were killed, 150,000 were
widowed, 120,000 were orphaned. Even the most pro-American Iraqis
think that the lists kept by activists at database are
accurate. In fact, everybody who trusts this organization and
uses their figures would tell you that the death toll is actually
ten times higher – and this is really scary.

Notepads, cameras and chargers are the things that interest
security personnel the most in a journalist’s bag. When I turned
my spare battery on and a blue LED light began to blink, a fully
veiled female guard searching me ran out of the tent to get the
senior officer. When we explained to her that it was only a
battery, she immediately stopped hollering and began to apologize
with as much zeal.

Soldiers and officers from different units and in different
uniforms kept coming in small groups, taking pictures of each
other, taking pictures with me and asking for my Facebook account
in order to become Facebook friends with me and post the photo.

At every checkpoint, they “check” your papers. My green
international ID card worked fine in every instance. When I went
into the polling station, they wrote down my name in a thick
register and gladly demonstrated the voting procedure to me.

The polling station is set up in a school building. There were
long lines to each of the classrooms, and senior officers waited
in them just like ordinary soldiers. There was no segregation; on
the contrary, there was an atmosphere of camaraderie. After
voting, each platoon would take a group picture showing their
inky index fingers.

Contrary to expectations, not all the military voted for the
ruling bloc. They were more than willing to explain why they
voted for the candidates they voted for.

What was even more contrary to the view dominating the media is
that there were Sunnis among the military who voted for the bloc
of the Shiite leader al-Sadr.

Rayad is not just a Sunni; he is a Sunni from Fallujah, which is
currently seized by terrorist groups – al Qaeda and ISIS, Iraqis
say. Rayad is the only Sunni in his unit, and he has Shiites
under his command.

“The reason I vote for Sadr is not just because he is a good
man. He protects everybody regardless of which group they belong
to,” Rayad tells me. Most of the people in his police squad
vote for al-Sadr, not for al-Maliki’s ruling Shiite bloc.

The bloc of Muqtada al-Sadr who started a Shiite rebellion
against US occupation in Najaf in 2004 runs against the ruling
bloc of al-Maliki. It has 40 seats in the parliament and 6
ministerial positions in the government.

Rayad tells me about his hometown, Fallujah, which is famous for
rebelling twice against US occupation in 2004. Now it has been
seized by the radicals fighting “infidels,” as they
refer to Shiites.

“Those terrorist groups started their raids seven months ago.
They use hit-and-run tactics. There are people from all over the
world among them – Syria, Turkey, even Tunisia. I’ve never seen
them myself but I know people who have. They quickly move around
the city, and they have plenty of weapons. Most residents,
including my family, have moved to Baghdad. They just left one
man from each family to take care of their houses but it is
impossible for the families to remain there,” Rayad says.

Golsham Kamal Ali, the head of the PR department of the
Independent High Electoral Commission, says that the terrorists
attacked five polling stations where the servicemen voted. Other
than that, she believes, the voting has begun well, and the
servicemen are prepared for these attacks in any case.

A police unit wearing a different kind of uniform walks into the
school yard. They have all voted for al-Maliki. “I think he’s
the right person for the job, he deserves it. He always acts
sensibly, and I respect him”, one of the policemen readily
explains.

His fellow policemen are all from Baghdad. They all say their
families voted for al-Maliki as well. One of the policemen
protests and says he voted for al-Sadr. Many Iraqis are
particularly enthusiastic about the elections, because no one
makes them cast their votes and they can vote against the ruling
regime. They don’t really think about what they’ll get from that.

“We may be certain that al-Maliki wins and stays in office.
He suits both Americans and Iraqis, and these are the two groups
that determine everything in Iraq now”. This sentiment has
now been repeated by everyone who’s so enthusiastic about the
election process that they aren’t even hoping for any kind of
change.

On Tuesday morning a curfew was imposed in some of the Bagdad
districts, and access to the city will be restricted before the
main voting day on April, 30.

This is the first post-occupation election in Iraq. There are
about 9,000 candidates, one quarter of them women, running for
325 seats in the Parliament.

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.